Barney Fife and the ‘Net?

What would Barney Fife have made of the Internet?

The odd thought pops into my head as I’m reading this New York Times obituary for Don Knotts, the cornball comic who made Deputy Barney Fife famous on The Andy Griffith Show from 1960 to 1968. … Let’s all whistle the theme song together.

“Hey, Andy, have you seen what’s playing on this here Internet picture show?”

“Barney, now don’t you be concerning yourself about that.”

“But, Andy, LOOK at this … I mean what if Opie, or … gosh, Andy, what if Aunt Bee …?”

A half-hour later and the Internet would have been put in its place, no doubt.

If you’re looking to take a stroll down memory lane, try this “shrine” or these “Warm words for Don Knotts,” which veers off into “Barney and the Moral Economy of Mayberry.”

Finally, a bit of tangentially related personal trivia: Everyone is told at some time or another that they look like a celebrity. No, mine isn’t Don Knotts, but the most common one I’ve heard over the years is one of his co-stars.

Time’s up. We’re talking an all-growed-up Opie Taylor: Ron Howard. … It was more pronounced when we were both younger and had mustaches, but trust me, I heard it a lot.

Final note before we return to our regular programming: Strangely enough, this is not the first mention of Barney Fife on NetworkWorld.com. Check it out.